I Love You Goodbye
by MoreCowbell
Summary: The sequel to a story I wrote ("Untitled"). Definite Michi-ness, so if you liked them just as friends, you might want to hold out on this. It's very corny.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
I Love You Goodbye  
by Trish (snoflayyke@aol.com)  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"You remember on the first day of summer camp when you  
told me that Mimi Tachikawa was going to be your first  
kiss?"  
  
Matt Ishida rolled over in his sleeping bag to shoot a  
questioning look at his friend, "What? Why?"  
  
Tai was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling,  
"Nevermind why, do you remember or not?"  
  
The blonde shrugged his shoulder, "Faintly, I do. I  
don't see why that matters now." He sat up, and crawled  
torward his friend, "What's the matter with you? You've  
been in a rut for the past few weeks. You've barely  
insulted me and you nearly lost the championship game  
for your team. And then there's this."  
  
"This?" Tai echoed, plucking away at imaginary lint on  
his sleeping bag so he wouldn't have to meet his  
friends' eyes. He really had no idea he'd been that  
way. Soccer and rough housing with Matt didn't seem all  
that fun to him anymore. He did those things everyday.  
  
"This is the first conversation you've started since  
you've gone in No-Fun-Tai mode, and it's about  
Tachikawa!" Matt exclaimed, "What gives?"  
  
Tai shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno." And he honestly  
didn't know. He and Mimi weren't best friends or girl  
friend and boyfriend. Why was he taking her moving so  
hard? They'd barely spoken at all since they got back  
from 'summer camp'.  
  
Matt scowled. His friend was closing off his emotions,  
just like he used to do. Tai and Sora had bothered him  
about it, constantly, until it was almost no longer a  
problem. And here was Tai, doing the same exact thing.  
'What a hypocrite', he thought to himself.  
  
"Fine, whatever. Don't tell me," Matt rolled back on to  
his sleeping bag, his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
They lay there, on the floor of Tai's bedroom, in  
silence. The sound of rain water pattering on a window  
sill could be heard.  
  
"What changed?" Tai finally asked.  
  
"Huh?" Matt looked confused.  
  
"You said you wanted to kiss Mimi," the brunette  
explained, "And that's all you talked about for the  
entire day. You had plenty of chances to do it. What  
changed? What made you not want to kiss her anymore?"  
  
Matt once again pulled himself out of his sleeping bag  
to move torwards where his friend was, "Do you really  
want to know?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The blonde boy sighed, "That first day I saw her, I  
thought, 'I'm really going to get to know her'. That was  
my goal for the entire summer. And then when we got  
pulled into the Digital World. I had to re-evaluate my  
priorities, and kissing Mimi wasn't one of them  
anymore. I never got to know her; to even have a really  
good conversation with her, and by the time we were  
home, I'd lost my chance. She went back to being whoever  
she was before."  
  
"That's not true!" Tai suddenly shot up, "She's not the  
same girl she was before! She may not talk to us as  
often, but I know she's not. Ask Sora, or TK, or Joe!"  
  
Matt put his hands up in defense, "Whoa, there, calm  
down. I'm just saying... She's a stranger to me now. She  
might say 'hi' in the hall, but that's only because it's  
an obligation. That's the only reason I say 'hi' back."  
  
Tai settled back onto his sleeping bag. That sudden  
outburst had been the most passion he'd shown for  
anything in awhile.  
  
"Say, why do you care anyways?" Matt questioned, "She  
hasn't been any nicer to you then she has to me. What,  
do you have a crush on her, or something?"  
  
"I do not have a crush on her," he grumbled in response,  
turning away so Matt couldn't see the blush spreading  
across his cheeks.  
  
"Yeah you do!" the blonde laughed, "Is that why you've  
been acting like such a zombie? Because you like the  
little princess, and you're afraid she's gonna reject  
you!?"  
  
His laughter promptly ended when Tai shoved a fist in  
his face.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hello, Takenouichi Floral Design. How can I help you?"  
  
Tai scratched the back of his neck, anxiously, "Hey,  
Sora. It's me."  
  
"Oh, hey, Tai!" she greeted. She'd know the sound of his  
voice anywhere, "What's up? You feeling okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, fine," he said, hastily. People kept asking  
him that, and it was starting to annoy him, "I was just  
wondering if you thought it was a good idea to throw  
Mimi a party."  
  
"A party?" Sora sounded confused, "Her birthday's not  
for months. Why would we throw her a party?"  
  
"You know, a going away party?" he tried again. A  
stunned silence was his response. "Oh my God..." he  
uttered, ashamed, "You didn't know she was... Uh... I  
have to go!"  
  
Before she could get a word in, he hung up.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
He found her sitting by herself at one of the lunch  
tables at the far side of the cafeteria. And all day  
long, Sora had been crying on and off. Tai could only  
guess what had happened between them.  
  
"Hey," he smiled weakly at her, claiming the seat across  
from her's, instead of his usual one at the jock table,  
"You look nice today," he complimented.  
  
She said nothing.  
  
'Wow, she must be really depressed. She didn't respond  
to flattery and she's purposely sitting by herself.'  
Tai shook his head, ruefully. The Mimi Tachikawa he  
knew was a glutton for praise and attention.  
  
"We should all do something," he suggested, "Like see a  
movie. We only have so much time left together."  
  
"I don't wanna do anything. Sora hates me now," Tai  
almost didn't hear her. Her head was bowed low so she  
was talking into her food.  
  
"She doesn't hate you. She's really sad about you  
leaving, and when you're sad sometimes you want to be  
angry so you won't cry anymore." he explained.  
  
"Taichi," Mimi suddenly gasped his name, her eyes  
starting to pool over with tears, "Taichi, I don't want  
to leave her or you, or anyone!"  
  
Droplets of her tears began to plop on her obento. Tai  
could only stare at her, unsure of what to do in such a  
situation.  
  
"D-don't cry!" he stuttered, quickly rising from his  
seat. He put a comforting arm over her shaking  
shoulders, "Even if you'll be in another country, you'll  
still be here with us!"  
  
"Oh, shut up!" she sobbed, burying her face into his  
chest, "I won't be here! I'll be in America, and you'll  
all forget about me! I'll miss all the things that I've  
been waiting so long to be here for!"  
  
"Like what?" he asked, soothingly, as he stroked her  
silky hair with his fingers.  
  
"Like... Like Joe getting his doctor's degree, or Sora  
getting her first boyfriend, or TK growing up... I won't  
be able to be there for the people I care about, and  
when I reach some milestone in my life they won't be  
able to be there for me."  
  
"Mimi, Mimi, it's okay!" he insisted, wrapping his arms  
around her, engulfing her in his warmth, "It doesn't  
matter where in America you are. You have a bond with  
TK, and Sora, and Joe that won't be broken by a couple  
hundred miles."  
  
She sniffed, and then hiccuped, then wiped furiously at  
her eyes.  
  
"What about you?" she asked.  
  
"Me?" He gave her a confused look.  
  
"I don't have a bond with you. You're not gonna think  
about me at all after I'm gone. I'm not special to you."  
  
"You are," he told her.  
  
"How am I special? I'm the one girl who gave you never  
ending migraines?" A whole fresh wave of tears were  
threatening to fall, "I'm just like anyone else to you."  
She said, mournfully.  
  
Tai, ever the impulsive one, said the first thing that  
happened to be on his mind, "Well... How about this?  
You can be special to me as the girl I first kissed."  
  
Mimi peeked at him from behind her eyelashes, "What are  
you talking-"  
  
Before she had a chance to finish asking her question,  
Tai's lips were on her's.  
  
He kissed funny. Akward, clumsy, forceful. He pulled his  
face back in three seconds, and he looked like a ripe  
tomato.  
  
It was the best kiss of her life.  
  
"Taichi..." she whispered his name.  
  
"Sorry," he said, looking incredibly embarrased, "I have  
no idea what possessed me to do that. Um... I gotta...  
I gotta go." As fast as humanly possible, he gathered up  
his books and his uneaten lunch, and scurried out of the  
cafeteria.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Hey Izzy, glad you could make it!" Tai smiled, as he  
moved out of the doorway to allow the shorter boy  
entrance into the Kamiya apartment.  
  
"No problem," he replied, stepping into the living room,  
and looking at his surroundings, "Wow, you've  
re-decorated. It's nice."  
  
"Thanks!" Tai jogged in after him, "Just put your  
present over there," he pointed to the bench of the  
rustic wood piano, where another wrapped box already  
sat, "Can I get you anything? A drink? Some snacks?"  
  
Izzy's eyes traveled from the newly painted walls, to  
the large banner reading 'Farwell Mimi'; to the array  
of food and refreshments spread over a white linen  
table.  
  
"No, I'm good," he declined, "But how are you?"  
  
Tai stopped racing back and forth his living room  
checking to make sure everything was in order, and gave  
Izzy an odd look, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well," Izzy began, sounding very as-a-matter-of-factly,  
"You started the month down in the dumps and you're  
ending it on a natural high. I'm starting to suspect  
you've got bipolar disorder."  
  
"Bipolar disorder?" Tai repeated, "What's that?" He  
shook his head, "No, no, I don't have time for this.  
I've still got a lot to do... I hope Mom makes the dip  
Mimi likes."  
  
Izzy smiled, knowingly, "Not bipolar disorder, it must  
be love or something."  
  
"Love?" Tai laughed, uneasily, "That's so ridiculous.  
Love. I don't love her. She's just a pal. A buddy.  
Buddy Mimi, hah, hah..." He rushed out of the living  
room and into the kitchen, babbling away.  
  
Just as Tai left, Kari wandered in.  
  
She stared at Izzy, and Izzy stared at her.  
  
"Hi," she greeted, in her innocent, child-like way. She  
wore a fancy party dress that Izzy was almost sure was  
Tai's idea.  
  
"Hey, Kari," Izzy greeted, in response, "That's a nice  
dress."  
  
She scrunched up her face, and pulled at the lace hem a  
bit, "I don't like it but Tai said that I should look  
nice for Mimi." The little girl's face grew somber,  
"Because Mimi's going away."  
  
Izzy coughed, uncomfortably.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"Hey, Izzy, could you get the door?" Tai yelled from the  
kitchen.  
  
"I could get the door," Kari informed him.  
  
"I don't want you getting kidnapped!" Tai shouted back  
at her.  
  
"And you want Izzy to get kidnapped?" his sister  
challenged.  
  
"Izzy couldn't get kidnapped!"  
  
"He could so! Just 'cause he's a little older than me  
doesn't mean someone wouldn't want to take him away."  
  
While this argument escalated, Izzy stood in his spot,  
unnmoving. He was unsure of whether to get the door,  
like Tai had instructed, or let Kari do it, as she  
obviously had her heart set on it.  
  
The doorbell continued to ring.  
  
"I might as well, Kari," he said, apologetically, as he  
approached the door. He opened it to be face to face  
with Matt Ishida. His younger brother was clinging to  
his leg in tears.  
  
"Hey," Izzy said, "Good of you to come. I'm sure Tai  
will kiss your feet later for it."  
  
Matt laughed, "Yeah, I bet. That guy's been a complete  
basket case about this whole party."  
  
In his hands, the blonde carried a somewhat messily  
wrapped gift. Izzy eyed it with an arched eyebrow, and  
Matt shrugged his shoulders, sheepishly, "I was running  
kinda late," he explained.  
  
He placed it on the piano next to Tai and Kari's, and  
Izzy's gift.  
  
The brunette sooned joined them in the living room. He  
was wearing a pink apron with the name 'Hanako' stitched  
in the breast pocket.  
  
The inhabitants of the living room snickered when they  
saw him.  
  
"You're wearing Mama's apron!" Kari giggled.  
  
"Looking good, Tiffany!" Matt added.  
  
"Shaddap," he muttered, gruffly, "You guys are such,  
complete dorks."  
  
"We're not the ones wearing the girly aprons," Izzy  
retorted, good naturedly.  
  
"Why I oughta'!" he threatened, wielding a spatula.  
  
The doorbell rang again.  
  
"Ooh, guests!" The host seemingly forgot his anger and  
moved torwards the door. On the other side stood Sora  
Takenouichi, holding a large shopping bag, and wearing a  
sad face.  
  
"Hi Tai," she mumbled, too depressed to even make fun of  
the fact that he was wearing a pink, frilly apron of his  
mother's.  
  
"Hi Sora," he answered.  
  
The mirth drained from the room as she trudged in,  
dragging her feet.  
  
"You can put your gift over there," Tai gestured to the  
growing pile on the piano bench.  
  
She shook her head, "Actually, I want to keep this here  
with me. You know... Until she gets here."  
  
He smiled, sympathetically, "Thank you for coming, Sora.  
You being here will really mean a lot to her."  
  
"I'm always going to be there for Mimi," the girl told  
him, "She's... my best friend." Tears started to drip  
down the girl's face and she ran torwards the bathroom  
before anyone had a chance to comfort her.  
  
An uneasy silence remained in her wake.  
  
"When's Mimi and Joe getting here?" Matt asked.  
  
"Jim's driving them here. He's chauffeuring them around  
at Joe's request. First stop: ice cream, second stop:  
the mall, last stop: here."  
  
"She does know we're doing this for her, doesn't she?"  
Izzy asked.  
  
Tai broke out in a full grin, "Well that's not fun, is  
it?"  
  
"This is a suprise 'Going Away' Party?!" Kari squealed,  
excitment building inside of her, "Can we all hide and  
jump out when she gets here?"  
  
Tai chuckled at his little sister, "It's a little too  
late for that, what with the banner and the food and the  
presents. Besides, we might give Joe an asthma attack or  
something."  
  
"Is anyone else gonna be here?" Matt asked, "Or is it  
just us Digidestined?"  
  
The brunette turned away so his friends wouldn't see his  
face, "I wanted it to be just us. I didn't invite any of  
her other friends... Besides, they had all this time to  
have her. I figure, this is our time."  
  
"Oh." Was all Matt said in reply.  
  
No one said anything for a long time. Sora was still  
crying in the bathroom, and TK was busy soaking Matt's  
pant leg with his tears.  
  
They heard a knock on the door.  
  
"That's probably Joe. I told him to knock instead of  
ringing so I would know when he got here." Tai  
explained, jumping to his feet.  
  
"You said it wasn't a suprise party," Kari pointed out.  
  
"It's not," Tai told her, "I just need a few seconds to  
prepare myself."  
  
He took a deep breath, then swung the door open.  
  
There stood Joe, with Mimi latched on to his arm looking  
despondent.  
  
"Mimi," Tai breathed, not even acknowledging the boy who  
stood with her at the entrance of his apartment.  
  
The girl lifted her eyes to meet his... Then they  
shifted over his shoulder to the banner hanging on the  
wall.  
  
Her mouth formed in an 'o' of suprise, and she lifted  
her head off of Joe's shoulder, "Oh my gosh... Tai, you  
didn't."  
  
He beamed at her, "I did!"  
  
Before either could formulate an intelligent thought,  
she was in his arms, hugging him tightly, "Thank you so  
much!" she gushed, happy tears spilling down her cheeks.  
  
"H-hey," TK pulled at Matt's pants, "How can they be so  
happy w-when s-she's going to be leaving us? I don't get  
it."  
  
Matt shrugged, "Neither do I. It's one of those weird  
things only people in love understand."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Presents! Presents!" Tai sang, cheerfully, after they'd  
had the cake and watched some of Mimi's favourite  
videos. He led her by the hand to the piano bench,  
where the gifts awaited.  
  
She smiled, and picked up the one closest to her.  
  
It was Matt and TK's poorly wrapped gift. She undid the  
paper and blinked at what she held in her hands. It was  
a CD. A burned CD.  
  
"I know it seems kinda lame," Matt breezed.  
  
"Not to mention cheap," Tai snickered to Joe, who just  
rolled his eyes.  
  
"ANYWAY," Matt continued, a bit angrily, "It's a CD of  
all these songs I like, and I'm pretty sure you'll like  
too. There's also this thing in the cover."  
  
Mimi opened the CD case, and sure enough, tucked away in  
the side was a small square of folded paper.  
  
"Me and TK both wrote something for you there. It gets  
kinda emotional, so I'd save it for later if I were  
you."  
  
She hugged him, briefly, before returning back to her  
seat. TK bounced over to her lap, and wrapped his arms  
around her neck.  
  
"Mimi, I'm gonna miss you!" he wailed.  
  
"Gonna miss you, too," she was able to whisper back,  
hoarsely, as she returned the embrace.  
  
She picked up Izzy's gift next. Everyone assumed right  
away it was going to be computer related. They were  
wrong.  
  
It was a pretty silver necklace with a pink flower  
pendant.  
  
She started crying again, and threw her arms around him,  
"The flower's just like Palmon," she said.  
  
"Geez, if I'd known it would make you this upset, I  
would have gotten you a plain necklace," he remarked.  
  
"No, no," she shook her head, vigorously, "I love it. It  
means the world to me," she insisted, "Thank you,  
Koushirou."  
  
"Okay, okay, me and Kari's next!" Tai announced, handing  
her a large box, wrapped in shiny pink paper, "I'm not  
sure if you'll like it, or if it'll freak ya' out."  
  
"It will not freak her out!" Kari protested, "She's  
gonna like it!"  
  
Mimi quirked her lips into a smile, as she began to tug  
at the paper. Underneath the paper was another layer of  
wrapping paper, this time in a magenta.  
  
"How much of this am I gonna have to go through?" she  
asked, arching an eyebrow, as she ripped through yet  
another layer.  
  
"A lot," Tai grinned, "I thought it would be pretty  
entertaining."  
  
Everyone laughed. Even Sora managed a smile. She was  
seated next to her best friend on the floor. Even though  
they hadn't spoken since Sora found out Mimi was moving,  
they had been able to repair the damage with a shakey  
smile and a tight hug.  
  
Finally, Mimi made it to the cardboard box. She pryed  
open one side and pulled out a doll. A doll with long  
honey coloured hair, and rosy cheeks, and champagne  
coloured eyes. She wore a pink cowboy hat.  
  
"It looks like me!" she gasped, happily, "Oh, I love it!  
It doesn't freak me out at all!" She hugged Kari, who  
hugged her back.  
  
Everyone waited patiently for Tai and Mimi to hug. She  
was blushing, furiously, too embarrased to even meet his  
eyes.  
  
"Later," he told her, "When we don't have an audience."  
  
Mimi opened Sora's gift last. It was in the shopping  
bag. As soon as Mimi peeked inside, she gasped with  
suprise. There were a *lot* of things in there!  
  
There was a photo album (with pictures of all the times  
the Digidestined were able to be together), a game for  
the Gameboy (the same game they played everytime they  
went to the arcade), a best friend necklace (which Sora  
was presently wearing the other half of), a trashy love  
novel (which Sora had 'borrowed' from her mother and was  
never intending to return), and an address book.  
  
Mimi raised an eyebrow at that. It seemed out of place  
with all the rest of the sentimental gifts.  
  
"It has all our addresses," the red head explained, "So  
you have no excuse for not keeping in touch with us."  
  
Mimi and Sora stared at each other before bursting into  
tears.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
One by one they all started to leave.  
  
"Remember to be at the airport at eight o' clock," Mimi  
sniffed, "I'm sorry it's so early, but that's the only  
flight my dad could schedule."  
  
"It's okay," Sora smiled, "It could be at three AM and  
I'd still be there." They gave each other a long hug,  
and pulled apart.  
  
"Goodbye, Sora." She waved sadly.  
  
"G'bye, Mimi," she waved back, as she walked down the  
hall torwards the elevator.  
  
Mimi closed the door of Tai's apartment, and trudged  
back to the couch. Her heart felt heavy. It was nearly  
eleven now, and Kari had fallen asleep on the carpet.  
  
It was just her and Tai now.  
  
"Thanks for all this," she said, "You're really a good  
friend."  
  
"I have something else for you," he told her.  
  
"Oh no," she shook her head, "You've already done so  
much for me. I couldn't possibly except anything else."  
  
"Just come," he urged, taking her hand and leading her  
to the balcony.  
  
The stars were barely visible in Odaiba, but she was  
still able to make out slight twinkling dotting the  
sky. The moon was large and gold and although she  
couldn't think of a reason why, she found it romantic.  
  
"You gonna give me your second kiss?" she teased.  
  
Her soft laughter was cut short as he did just that. Tai  
Kamiya was not the best kisser in the world, but she had  
just about fallen in love with his kisses. His soft lips  
pressed against hers in a sort of urgent, desperate  
kiss. And despite that, it was still gentle and loving.  
He'd definately gotten better since last week.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered, her cheeks burning with  
heat.  
  
"That wasn't the gift, but I'm glad you liked it," he  
chuckled, "I want you to have this."  
  
On the curlicue bench that looked like it had been  
shipped straight out of one of those romantic French  
parks, lay his soccer jacket.  
  
"You want me to have your jacket?" she asked.  
  
"Don't worry, it's clean and everything," he told her.  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Well," he finally let go of her hands and faced the  
city below, "I was asking my Dad some things earlier,  
and I asked him about how he was able to ask Mom out and  
he said that he asked her to wear his Letterman  
jacket..." His cheeks were on fire.  
  
"Oh!" Mimi jumped in suprise, "Is that what this is? Are  
you asking me out?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Yes! Yes, of course!" She hugged him from behind, "This  
is so wonderful! I can't believe how happy I am!"  
  
He turned to face her, "Now... You're leaving tomorrow,  
and I might not see you for a long time, so it's going  
to be rough on us..."  
  
"I don't care!" she giggled, gleefully, "You said it  
yourself! Strong bonds don't break because of a few  
hundred miles! Oh, Tai, I love this! I love you!" This  
time she kissed him.  
  
She'd kissed boys before. She knew a little bit more  
about it then Tai, even if she was younger. By the time  
she was finished smothering his face with her candy-lip  
gloss tasting kisses, he was stupified.  
  
"You're not sad anymore?" he questioned, when he was  
able to collect himself.  
  
"Of course I'm sad!" she shrieked, smacking his arm,  
"Don't you think for a second that I'm not devestated  
about having to leave you all!" Her face grew serious,  
"But I'm not going to let us drift apart. I know that  
when we got back from the Digital World I went my own  
way, but it was because I thought you guys didn't like  
me. But now that I see all this, now that I've seen what  
you guys have done, I know that you really care for me,  
and I'm not letting you get away this time. We're going  
to be closer than before."  
  
"How is that possible?"  
  
"Duh," she rolled her eyes, "It's called letters,  
e-mails, instant message, frequent visits."  
  
"Frequent visits?" he echoed.  
  
She grinned, "Hey, I've got rich parents. Whaddya'  
expect? They totally understand that I've got to be  
there for when Sora gets her first boyfriend, and when  
Joe gets his medical liscence, and Kari and TK graduate  
from junior high..."  
  
"Also, you've got to be there for your unconceivablely  
lonely boyfriend," he added.  
  
"And that."  
  
"Good," he hugged her, suddenly, letting her warmth wash  
over him. He might not hug her again in awhile, and he  
wanted to cherish it. The way she felt so small and tiny  
in his arms. The way she smelled so good. "Now did I  
hear you say something about loving me?"  
  
She laughed, nervously, "Uh... No. I think you need to  
wash out your ears. You're starting to hear things that  
were never said."  
  
"Yeah, right! I heard you!"  
  
"You're crazy. I started going out with you five  
minutes ago!"  
  
"You love me, admit it!"  
  
They continued to 'argue' well into the night.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
NOTES---  
Okay, that was crap. I think I'm gonna barf. But I like  
Michi... It's not my favourite Digimon couple, but I  
like it. Torwards the end of the story, the quality  
started to decline. When I'm bored, I write things  
without thinking.  
Anyway, if you didn't read the first part of this,  
that's okay. In a nutshell, Mimi runs out in the rain  
because she's moving and she doesn't want to. Tai runs  
after her and tries to cheer her up. She tells him she's  
moving, and he realizes that he never really got the  
chance to know her, which he feels is unfortunate  
because he sort of likes her.  
And that's it. The title is irrelevant. I couldn't  
think of anything else. It sounds nice, though. 


End file.
